 Glouglouburp (2778), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Mar 3, 2009 NOTE: I’m entering this rating here but I don’t know if I should create a new entry. This rating is for the Blunderbuss Barleywine served at Boston Extreme Beer Fest 2009. It was described as “Blunderbuss Barleywine (Sherry Oak-Aged) CBC’s 2008 Blunderbuss aged in sherry oak and served via gravity tap; 11.0%”. Does this deserve a separate entry? bm me if I should create a new entry for this batch
In short: A sweet alcoholised fruity ale with notes of Sherry. Not bad but not interesting either.
How: Cask at Boston Extreme Beer Fest 2009
The look: Clear golden body with almost no head
In long: Sweet crunchy honeyed cereals reminding me of an ice-cream cone (without the ice-cream). Dried light-color fruits (apricots, pears, pineapples, etc.). Some crisp caramel. The advertise Sherry oak is somewhat subtle and if it wasn’t for the description I don’t think I would have picked sherry or sherry oak as a flavour. I would have just said there was some sour cherries along with the dried fruits flavour. Alcohol very apparent. Boring mouthfeel. Floral hops with a flower juicy petals feeling. Not bad but kind of disappointing. I haven’t had their original barley wine yet but judging by this disappointing brew I’m pretty sure the sherry oak aging improved the beer as much as whiskey barrel aging can improve a country music CD.
ElDuderino (136), Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
Jan 29, 2009 2007 Vintage on tap at CBC during the 2009 Barleywine Festival. Body is a semi transparent chocolate brown with a thin whispy white head. The nose is full of smoke and sweet malts with notes of cherries and apples in the background. The initial flavor is mostly smoke and a robust oak flavor that hides the sweetness very well. As those sensations fade the sticky sweet dry fruit rises up, like apricots and plums. The ending malts are very strong and chewy and made me almost feel like I was getting a cold. Really, I just kept drinking and drinking until it was gone because that initial oaky blast is just devine.
Rciesla (3500), Exit 15W, New Jersey, USA
Jun 14, 2008 Draft. Pours a light brown amber body with a thin head. Aroma is etoh, dark fruit, some hop character. Flavor is fruity sweet, with a a moderate warming and some bitter hop character. decent.
ukoolaid (572), Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
Apr 27, 2008 On tap. Pours dark cherry amber with thin off-white head. Aroma is thick sweet malts and caramel. Taste is sweet brandy and dark fruits with a little oak. A little bitterness in the finish. Strong alcohol. Good, but not great.
pantanap (1322), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Apr 25, 2008 draft at the brewpub..... pours a dark amber brown with a mainly off-white head which slowly dimiinished to a milder level towards the edges...aroma of aged dark fruit and toffee like malt with a fair amount of sweet brandy like barrel aging..... flavors of dark fruit and a nice barrel aging charactier but it still remains pretty hot overall. carbonation level was a little high to my llking and the finsh left it somewhat boozy.... i really liked this one and would love to measure it up to ba angel’s share.
CharlesDarwin (1822), Point Judith, Rhode Island, USA
Apr 15, 2008 On tap at the brewpub. Wicked nose in acacia leaf, bourbon barrel and freshly hewn hemlock timbers. Rich, creamy and inviting. Some long drawn lilac and teak. Nice. Pours a hazed mid-orange amber. Rim in white. A very charred and oaky presentation. Barrel dominates the beer from the get go and adds that Manhattan-like alcohol dryness. Bourbon-dominated fruit character. Almost thin. And some un-ascribable bitterness washes through. Not my favorite. Hot and overwhelmingly bourboned. The beer can’t hold up to the barrel and that’s a sign of failure in my book. Light caramelized sugars and old hops back out. Too much barrel time.
Slipstream (734), USA
Apr 14, 2008 The aroma is rich and vinous. Flavor is smooth and rich, with the alcohol coming thru a little too clearly. Sweet and bourbon-like, with hops in the finish.
BeerandBlues2 (3201), Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Jan 14, 2008 8th Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines. Pours clear brown with an average, creamy, light brown head, lasting with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (cookie, caramel, toffee), average hops (flowers, perfume), average yeast (earth, dough) with notes of alcohol, apple, pear, and vanilla. Full bodied, alcoholic texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, acidity, and bitterness.
|
